


In the Dark

by theChromiumFail



Series: Fairytales For Your Local Ninja [3]
Category: Naruto
Genre: Alternate Universe - Fantasy, Dark Encounters, Gen, Genma's Mom, Monsters, Naruto fantasy au, Nasty Medicine Tea
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-07-17
Updated: 2017-07-18
Packaged: 2018-04-14 04:50:53
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 5
Words: 6,245
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4551165
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/theChromiumFail/pseuds/theChromiumFail
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>There's a reason most people don't go out at night.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. The Dare

**Author's Note:**

> I decided to redo this story as well because again- I read the first version and decided I hated it. So here's the new version, with some changes, and hopefully it's better!

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Genma, as usual, gets himself into a very dumb situation, with his friends Anko, Kakashi and Gai- as usual.

By a small town within Hesk Pass lies a large, darkwood tree. Over the years, local residents have come to call it the Niflem tree, for the moss which grows only on it’s roots. The moss is believed to keep away malevolent creatures and spirits if it is placed in the entrances of one’s home, and so the tree itself is believed to protect the town. The Niflem tree sits at the edge of the town, before the neighboring forest. Its location in the middle of the small, dividing field make the tree a common romantic sight. Other times, like today, its large, low hanging branches make it the perfect hang out and climbing spot for kids.

Genma sits among the leaves and branches with his friends Gai and Kakashi. They relax in the afternoon, eating their lunches and laughing over stories of the past year.

“Don’t you losers have anything better to do than this?” The three boys look below and see their friend Anko smiling back up at them.

“If it’s so lame then why did you come?” Genma sneers. He rolls his eyes as she easily makes her way up to where they all sit. “Give me a better idea and I’m listening.”

“I always have better ideas.”

“Yeah, if by better you mean crazier or more dangerous,” Kakashi chimes in, not taking his eyes away from where they’re glued to the book in his hands. It’s not exactly an objection, though.

“What did you have in mind?”

“A dare of course,” she says to Gai, smiling at the familiar spark of competition growing in his eyes. “If you’re up to it.”

There’s a beat of silence, in which the boys pretend to think over her challenge. Anko hums to herself, already knowing that they’ll go for it. None of them ever did pass up on a challenge given by the others. It was one of the many reasons they were friends- and why they were notoriously known all over town.

“And what do we get for it?” 

Anko rolls her eyes. Genma always asked for a price. She couldn’t really say much, though, she did too. It was much easier to get Gai to go along with their plans, since he usually just did it for the sport of it all. Kakashi always found a way out of paying up. She’s sure that if she kept track of their ongoing game, he probably owed the most.

“I’ll think of something later, trust me.” After a moment they all nod, eager to get on with whatever it is they’ll have to do. In two carefully placed jumps, Anko is back on the ground, followed by the three boys. “It’s perfectly simple: just walk into the forest until you get to some houses, knock on one of the doors, then come back. Easy as pie.” 

Genma, Kakashi, and Gai all peer over her shoulders at the wall of trees and foliage. There was no foreseeable end to it.

“Oh, I almost forgot, you have to bring something back. It can’t be a stick or a rock, obviously, then I’ll know you cheated.”

“It’s a far walk before you reach any sign of civilization in there,” Kakashi notes, voice devoid of fear or worry, but Anko can see him weighing the risk.

“Then I suggest you make it quick.”

“You know who lives in the forest?” Genma doesn’t answer his question and neither do the others. They all know of the stories of disappearing travelers, creatures, and essentrics that revolve around the forest. It’s the main reason why people stay as far from the forest as possible, especially at night.

“Don’t get caught then.” Anko stands her ground, crossing her arms and looking between the three of them with her eyebrow raised. She wouldn’t change her dare, and they knew it. They also knew, through countless experience, that the first person to say no would never hear the end of it. Refusals were reserved only for the most drastic of cases.

“Alright,” Gai beams confidently. “We accept! First one to the tree line gets to go fi-”

Anko interrupts him as he snatched a rock off the ground. “Too late for that,” she says, pointing to where Kakashi is already approaching the trees. “Sorry, Gai, I think you’ll have to go _second_.” Genma laughs along with her as Gai makes a half hearted attempt (or as half hearted as Gai can be, which is still much more effort than the average human) to catch up with their albino-haired friend.  

* * *

 

They waste time playing cards and retelling stories from their past adventures as Kakashi and Gai each make their treks beyond the Niflem tree. When all four of them are together again beneath its branches, the sun is just beginning to set. The sky begins to take on orange and pink hues and the shadows of the trees stretch across the field grass.

“Alright Genma, last one up.” Anko gestures for Genma to stand. Her feet rest against the wood board sign that Gai offered when he returned. They had argued over whether it  counted as a cheat, but Anko insisted that it didn’t, since the sides were clearly marked with the numbers “167” and the words “TURN BACK.” Still, Genma suspects she only accepted it on account that she was so fond of Gai. 

“Last one? Last I counted, there were four of us, that includes you,” is what Genma says. It’s starting to get dark out, and no one goes out there in the dark*, is what he doesn’t say. It doesn’t matter, he knows that she’ll hear his unspoken question underneath.

“I made it up, I don’t have to do it.” She looks him in the eyes. She doesn’t say that the doesn’t _want_ to, or that she _can’t_ , which means she’s not ignoring his question, just refusing to answer. So she’s not giving him any slack. 

“Are you gonna go or not?” She adds, smugly. And they all know it would be foolish.

Still, Genma was known for doing foolish things.

“I’m not chickening out if that’s what you’re trying to say,” he says, steeling himself and turning. He doesn’t wait to hear what they would’ve said, and they don’t try to stop him as he walks into the trees.


	2. A Lamp that Doesn't Light the Darkness

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which Genma wishes he'd brought bread crumbs or....something.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I love this version much better than the last, but I'm still not sure if I captured the suspense as well as I wanted too. Oh well.
> 
> Your kudos and feedback are much welcome.

Autumn leaves, left untouched over seasons, crunch underneath Genma’s feet amongst the twigs and other greenery. Trees surround him on all sides. He hasn’t been able to see the clearing behind him for some time, and the irregular makeshift trails on the ground leave him unsure of whether or not he’s actually been walking straight like he previously thought.

His focus on getting the dare over with and proving...he didn’t exactly know what to Anko left him with little room to think of anything else. Now, as his resolve begins to weaken, his surroundings really begin to catch up to him. The sun wis far beneath the treetops now, a ball of light in the distance that make the trees seem to stand taller. Genma looks around, searching for something he can take back with him. It’s all he can do to take his mind off of how small he suddenly feels. 

The forest was unsettling in its ability to appear silent despite the noises made by the living creatures and plants within it. The evening breeze shakes the branches and bushes, and there is a constant rustling of animals scurrying- or flying- around him. 

Genma would have to commend Anko on her dare when he got back. If he was being honest, he had expected to just find some random object a little ways into the trees- likely dropped by the stray traveler or child- and take it back after what had seemed the appropriate amount of time. He was sure that was what Kakashi had done when he returned; a small owl figurine clasped in his hand which he tossed Anko’s way. 

However, his eyes have yet to catch on anything beyond the immediate nature surrounding him that would suit the requirement.

Just as he’s about to give up, he notices small twinkles of light towards the left, and walks carefully in their direction. He focuses on making his footsteps light, desperate not to get caught. He’d rather not run into whatever kinds of people are crazy enough to actually live out here. That being said, Genma makes his way around back, though there really isn’t any sign of anyone being home. Unfortunately, there isn’t much to choose from in the back of the house to take. Almost everything is too heavy or to noisy to carry away, Genma notices.

Except a lamp, which sits carefully in a nook against the stair railing. Or, Genma thought it was a lamp until he picked it up and noticed that there wasn’t oil or wax inside. Instead, it was filled with leaves and twigs.  _ It’ll have to do _ , he thinks to himself.

He makes it what he deems a safe distance away from the house before he pauses. It occurs to him that he has no idea where he’s going. He begins to walk where he thinks he came from, but the difference in the trees is indiscernible in the darkness. The moon, now taking the sun’s place in the sky, cuts through clear enough for Genma to see, but make the shadows that much darker. 

And it’s cruel, really, to be out in the dark which a lamp that doesn’t work. Nervously, he laughs at the idea of telling his friends about it and wonders whether or not they’re even still waiting for him.

_ Of course not _ , he thinks. They would definitely have had to go home, with it being a weekend. Only Genma’s mother worked late on weekends. He was beginning to feel less confident with every step as his mind tried to work through the fear of how he would find his way back and the thought of no one waiting for him when he finally made it.

Taking a deep breath, Genma physically shakes himself. All he needs to do is focus on getting out of the forest, and worry about the rest later. He searches out a space between the trees that presents some semblance of a path and follows it until it ends, then does it again. He hopes, once he’s walking down the third path, that he’s getting closer to the clearing. It doesn’t, and Genma doesn’t feel any closer than he was ten minutes ago. 

What he does feel, is paranoid. He can feel eyes on him from the shadows in the trees and in the bushes. The lamp remains in his hand no longer as a keepsake, but a potential weapon. The feeling only gets stronger as he continues to walk- and abstract but physical presence he can feel as if someone is standing right against his back.

Genma wills his feet to move faster, and ignores his lack of direction. He catches the shadow of an owl passing overhead, or what he thinks is an owl, since that’s the only type of nocturnal bird he knows of. He tries- as it passes again- to stay calm, but something about the bird unnerves him. He finally notices, with a closer look, that it’s actually bigger than an owl- much bigger than any one  _ he’s _ seen. It circles around again and Genma can see that the winds aren’t even a bird’s, they’re more like a bat’s-

Which is as far as he gets to think before he takes off running.

He doesn’t look back to see if he’s being followed. He doesn’t have to- he can hear it’s wings and  _ how could he trick himself into thinking it was an owl? _

His heart picks up pace as his feet barrel over the dead leaves and tree roots that cover the forest floor. The wind rushes past his ears, raising goosebumps along his arms as he wills himself to not collide face first into a tree. 

A deep, blood chilling growl sounds behind him, and carries as if it’s made right into his ear. The skin on the back of Genma’s neck tingles as the sound of wings against the trees comes closer, until it feels like he’s practically running in place.

He shouts at the same time the wind is knocked out of him when he feels cold talon-like hands drag across his back, sending him to the ground. The lamp drops from his hand in his attempt to catch himself, and rolls some distance in front of him. He makes a lunge for the handle, but instead his hand grips empty air as the lamp sinks farther and farther beneath him.

This time he honestly does scream. The feeling of claws digging into the skin of his legs coupled with the sight of the ground some fifteen feet below him is almost enough to make him pass out. Another growl sounds, but he can’t see what it is that’s carrying him- flying away with him. It’s hold on his legs swings Genma through the air and he screams again, but it’s weak. He catches flashes as he swings- trees, sky, wings, the ground, the ground- then more ground and he wonders for a second why the swinging’s stopped before he realizes he’s free falling and can’t catch a grip on the branches. 

He thinks he’s almost got one, but the dizziness must have thrown him off because his hand misses and his head hits it instead. The last thing he sees is the forest floor rushing up to meet him before he blacks out.


	3. Raido

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Genma meets a stranger in a cabin in the woods, and it doesn't end nearly as bad as you would think.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I was actually able to stay in present tense! *pats myself on the back* At least I think so, I didn't do any hardcore editing. This was supposed to stop at Chapter 3 this time, but, as you can see, there are two more to go! Enjoy!
> 
> Raido is about 16 here, so he's still young but older than the others.

Genma’s awake before he opens his eyes. For a second, it feels as if he’s back home, in his bed and waiting for his mom to tell him breakfast is ready. He opens his eyes, and is startled when he’s confronted with darkness. The night comes rushing back to him and he remembers- the dare, grabbing the lamp, then some  _ creature _ -

“What the hell,” he whispers to himself. Slowly, he peels back the sheets- which aren’t his- and it’s as if seeing the evidence of what happens brings the pain. There’s a deep ache all over his body, and his legs throb where he knows there are lacerations underneath the bandages. He’s surprised to notice the bandage on his shoulder as well, but the pain that comes from beneath it tells him that it’s definitely supposed to be there. It occurs to him then, that someone must have found him, and that thought alone is enough to calm the panic that had risen in him..

Anko had wanted a story, she sure had one now.

The calm doesn’t last for long, though. Something in the back of his mind nags at him to stay alert. The breeze outside blows the curtains away from the window, and he can make out in the moonlight-

More trees. So he's still in the forest.

If it weren't for the footsteps that Genma  hears coming from the other room, he would've cried. His legs throb as he tenses in fear, wondering what he did wrong in his short life to end up here.

He considers making a break for it, but his legs- and the rest of his body- instantly protests. Without any viable escape, he's frozen in place on this stranger's bed as the footsteps grow closer. It feels like the world is in slow motion, the door creaking open slowly. Genma doesn't realize he's holding his breath until the door comes to a stop, and his aching lungs can't hold it anymore.

“You're awake,” says the kid standing on the other side of the door- and that was the last thing Genma had expected. The boy doesn't look much older than him at all. He’s taller than Genma, with spiky brown hair and a scar that runs down the side of his face.

“Is this some kind of trick?”

“Excuse me?”

Genma cautiously eyes the boy as he sets a candle down on the nearest surface. He's thankful for the light now more than ever. His mind plays through stories of shapeshifters and apparitions, and their unfortunate victims. He says, “You're not gonna turn and kill me are you?”

“I don't really see what the point in doing that would be, after going through the trouble of fixing you up.”

“Yknow, to make me feel safe. Witch in a candy house and all that.” The boy shrugs, letting out a laugh. It doesn't make Genma feel any better. “So who are you?”

“Raido.”

“Okay,  _ Raido _ , what the hell are you doing out here?” 

“I live here,  _ obviously _ ,” and he waves his hand through the air, gesturing to the house- cabin, really. “And you clearly don’t, so what are you doing out here?”

_ None of your business _ , is what Genma wants to say. But he figures he's been about as rude as he can be, considering the guy did help him out. 

“I got lost.” He doesn't elaborate, and Raido doesn't press any further. He leaves for a second, returning with a steaming cup. “Do you live here alone?” From what he can see outside the door, the place doesn't look that big.

“You wanna give me your name before you start asking personal questions?” Radio hands the cup to Genma and takes a seat on a chair by the window.

“Genma,” he replies before it even occurs to him that maybe he should lie. He brings the cup up to his nose to smell it, and gets a nose full of herbs and hot water.

“I do live alone now,” and he doesn't clarify what he means by now*, but Genma can make his own guess, judging by Raido’s age. “But I've lived here all my life. You should drink that instead of sniffing it, it'll help prevent infection.”

“Infection?!” He gets a raised eyebrow in response, so he takes a sip. It's not bad, so he takes another sip, then another. It gives him time to think, since Raido doesn't feel the need to push conversation, waiting for him to finish drinking. He wonders how much the boy would know, if he's actually lived in the woods. “So... how did you find me?”

Raido’s expression borders almost on surprised at the question, and maybe...nervous? Genma can't really tell with the light from the flame flickering over his features.

“I was on my way home at the time when I saw you just lying on the ground. Honestly, I was just going to pass and leave you there- you can't be too careful around here. But when I got closer I saw how beat up you were, and figured I'd lend a hand.”

“Thanks for that. So you didn't see anything when you picked me up?”

Raido regards him warily. “Like what?”

“Like, there was this-” he tries to remember what had attacked him. He can only see flashes in his memories- a huge shadow circling him, that horrid growling noise, and the bat-like wings. “I don't even know what it was. Some kind of...monster, I guess.”

“I take it you don't know what this is, then, huh?” At least Raido doesn't sound accusatory. Worried, maybe. Genma’s eyes follow him across the room to where he picks something up off the ground.

“The lamp?” Genma can't stop the laugh that escapes him. He knows a lamp when he sees one, and he recognizes the metal frame as the one he had taken with him earlier. It's empty now, no trace of the leaves and other things it had been filled with.

“ _ Not _ a lamp,” Raido corrects. “The ingredients that were in there were for a trap- it attracts the, uh, monsters as you say. You were practically calling it to you.”

Silence falls between them, in which Raido rummages through the room for clothes and Genma seriously questions his life choices. 

“You think you can walk?” Genma wants to say no, but to his surprise, the pain in his legs have already reduced to a dull ache. With some trouble, he manages to stand, and Raido hands over the clothes he picked. “Where do you live?”

“Uh, across the Niflem tree,” he figures anyone in the area, whether they lived in the forest or not, would be familiar with the landmark. 

Raido nods, grabbing an actual lamp on their way out. They walk mostly in silence, besides Raido’s constant “how are you feeling?” and “are you ok?” which unnerves Genma more than being back out in the woods. The walk back is faster now that he’s with someone who knows what he’s doing, but Genma is surprised to see how far he actually managed to get himself lost. What shouldn’t surprise him, but does, is the sound of people calling his name as they get closer to the clearing. There are lights flashing in the distance, and Genma finds that he really just wants to go home. 

He turns to thank Raido again, but finds only the lamp sitting on the forest floor. 

“Genma!!”


	4. It Starts Small

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which Genma thinks he's turning into a vampire.

Anko, Gai, and Kakashi, of course, come to see him the next afternoon -when he finally wakes up- to get the story of what happened. 

“I still want my prize,” Anko jokes. Still, Genma points out to her the lamp that sits on his bedside table, and even peels back his bandages to show them the wounds on his leg. He still doesn’t remember what caused the injury on his shoulder, but at his friends’ prompting, he draws the bandages away from there, too. 

They all stare, amazed -and terrified if Genma’s being honest- at the angry bite mark that rests there (when the doctor finally shows up to look him over, he makes an annoying point of reminding Genma how lucky he is to be alive). He knows that his friends will spread the story around school, as is their usual protocol after one of their adventures. He would do it himself, if not for the fact that he was basically on house arrest not only to make sure that he healed, but as punishment for taking part in the dare.

In short, he was stuck at home and bored out of his mind. 

He spends most of the time sleeping, which his mom insists will help his recovery but worries Genma because the sleep isn’t just out of boredom, but actual exhaustion. He finds himself lethargic and sluggish during the day, despite the fact that after the third day, the lacerations on his legs and the bite on his shoulder are already reduced to scabs and scarring. Even the doctor who comes to check on him is at a loss for an explanation.

Two weeks go by and Genma still suffers from the fatigue. The four of them aren’t grounded anymore, so they try to come see him more often, but he’s usually too tired to do anything with them. He feels bad, and he can tell they’re worried- even his mom agrees after some time that she’s concerned. 

The third week week in, he catches a fever. His mother takes time off from the hospital to tend to him herself, since the doctor can’t spare much more time than he already gives. They wonder if his wounds have been infected after all- but close inspection reveals that they’re still in the healing process.

For as tired and sick he feels during the day, he’s the picture of health at night.

His friends learn, after that, and they wait until the weekends- when they can stay a little past sundown- to come see him.

“Maybe you’re turning into a vampire,” Kakashi mused. Genma thinks he’s joking, but he’d be lying if he said he didn’t consider it himself.

“There aren’t any vampires around this area,” Gai says confidently.

“How do you know?”

Gai shrugs, “I overheard your doctor talking to the marshalls.”

His fever passes, but afterwards- as if the fatigue wasn’t enough, he can’t stand the daytime at all. His mom has to buy thicker curtains. He seriously considers the odds of being transformed into a vampire. 

It’s an odd feeling, really, to only be up at night. Most of the town is usually winding down, or already asleep, by the time he wakes up. His mom, of course, makes an effort to stay up and see him and check on him. But he feels like he hardly sees anyone anymore.

“Someone just came by to see you, honey,” his mom tells him one night. She must have taken off again to check on him. “I didn’t know you’d gotten up, so I told him you were sleep, that you’re always sleep during the day now.”

“Who was it?” Genma asks, because he can’t imagine who it could be that his mom doesn’t already know.

“Someone from your school, I guess? He looked a little older than you, sort of scruffy brown hair- poor thing had a scar on the side of his face. I swear! You kids get into…”

At the mention of the scar he tunes out her voice as it quickly presents him an image of who she’s talking about. “Raido.”

“What’s that?” His mom asks.

“Nothing! I mean...yeah, I know him.”

“He seemed really worried about you, you never told me about him.”

“We weren’t that close,” he walks into the kitchen to grab something to eat, and prevent the conversation from going on any longer. He’s sure it’d be normal of anyone who had gone through the trouble of helping a stranger to want to see if it’d done any good, but Genma can’t help but  be suspicious of the whole case. The way Raido had disappeared, and the way he acted when they had talked...it was strange. And for him to take so long before coming to check on him...

He has a feeling Raido knew more than he had let on.


	5. Answers

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Everything comes to a head, and the answer isn't one Genma likes at all.
> 
> (sidenote: I did age Ibiki up for the purpose of this AU, because I swore he was older when I watched Naruto but whatever, wiki says another thing)

Genma falls asleep wondering how he’s going to be able to find and speak to Raido. He’s surprised to find that he wakes up during the day. He can tell by how tired he is, and the light that shines beneath his door. He goes to turn over so he can go back to sleep, but is startled when his left leg doesn't move with him.

He tries again, with the same result. 

“Ugh, what now??” His leg is a dead weight, and his breath quickens with how much energy he's putting into trying to move it. 

It’s as if his nerves aren't even connected past his knee and honestly, the thought of becoming paralyzed makes his eyes heat up as if he's going to cry. He really needs to talk to Raido.

As with his fever, he slowly starts to gain feeling back on his leg as the day turns into night. It's a horrifying combination of the relief after a headache and the worst case of paresthesia he's ever experienced. 

He finds out, after telling his mom what happened, that much more was going on while he was asleep than he thought. His doctor had been extremely concerned once his fever broke out, combined with his sensitivity to the day, and had called a specialist to come into town. For whatever reason the whole ordeal had involved the marshalls.

* * *

 

 

He wakes up again in the afternoon the next day. Even though he knows what to expect now, it terrifies him to find that he can't move his leg-  _ legs _ , this time. His door is closed, but he can see his mom’s feet as she passes to open the door for who he assumes is the doctor.

Instead, he hears another man’s voice say, “Good afternoon, Ms. Shiranui. I’m Ibiki Morino, ferasapien specialist.”

“Thank you so much for coming Mr. Morino.”

They lower their voices after that. Genma strains to concentrate, but he can’t make out their words. It annoys him, because it’s obvious that  _ he’s _ what they’re talking about. It also worries him, that they wouldn’t just say it in front of him. The distressed expression on his mother’s face as they walk into his room only makes him worry more. 

“Genma,” the specialist addresses him directly. “My name is Ibiki Morino, I’m here to examine you.” 

“Ok.” His mom tries to give him a reassuring smile as Ibiki checks over his legs and shoulder, but it’s small, and fleeting.

“Did you eat anything while you were in the forest Genma?” He’s mildly surprised at the question, but should have expected someone would’ve already told him the whole story. “Any strange berries or plants?”

“No.”  
“Do have any feeling in your leg whatsoever?” 

“No.”

Ibiki continues to ask him more questions and he performs his examination. Genma has to look to his mom for help when it becomes apparent that he doesn’t know as much because of how much he sleeps.

“I had to buy thicker curtains,” his mom starts, “because he said the light was bothering him, and I noticed that he would get a rash- this was after he had that fever I told you about.”

“What do you mean rash?” Ibiki asks.

“This...grey patch would show up on his skin-his legs.” Ibiki points to where Genma’s scars are, and his mom nods. “Yeah, around there. It was real ugly, and made his skin tough.”

The specialist nods, as if what his mother said was even remotely normal.

“What’s going on?” Genma asks him, unable to keep the panic out of his voice. 

Ibiki looks to his mom in silent question, making sure that it’s okay for him to say whatever it is in front of him. She nods again. “Well, I had my suspicions already when you doctor called and told me what had happened, and the symptoms you were suffering from-”

“I’m not turning into a vampire am I?” 

Genma doesn’t realize he’s asked that out loud until Ibiki replies with a short laugh, “No, not a vampire.” And that would have been reassuring, except for the way he leaves the statement open, clearly saying  _ but something else _ .

“I had the pleasure of speaking with your friends,” he continues, “and the -albeit vague- description you gave them of what attacked you, coupled with my research of ferasapien in the area-”

“What is that?” At Ibiki’s questioning glance, Genma clarifies, “ferasapien. You said you were an expert.”

“Oh. Well I guess they still don’t use the term in towns as far out from Central as this.” It takes Genma a second to realize that Ibiki means Central Konoha. They don’t get many visitors from Central. “You might have heard of them referred to as Nether Humans.”

That Genma did understand- as what he referred to as monsters. The adults in town called them Nether Humans, but most people preferred not to speak about them. “Yeah I’ve heard that.”

“Well, we keep tabs on which ones are frequent in which areas. And here- or at least, in the forest- are gargoyles. The bite mark on your shoulder match that of a common Draugr Gargoyle, and your symptoms show that your body’s undergoing the ferasapien transformation.”

Genma’s torn between the shock of being told he’s turning into a freaking  _ gargoyle _ and Ibiki’s terrible bedside manner. His head buzzes with thoughts and emotions, and it makes his body feel oddly detached from where he sits in his room. The look on his mother’s face tells him she feels the same, but they must’ve already told her before now.

“I’ll give you both some time to, uh...process this,” Ibiki states before leaving the room.

* * *

 

 

Genma lies awake in bed that night, too anxious and scared to do anything else. The past few weeks feel unreal to him, and he almost convinces himself it was all a dream- that he'd fallen in the forest and hallucinated the whole thing.

He doesn't know what to expect now- or what to think. What does one do after being told their turning into something inhuman?

For the first time since that first night, he allows the tears in his eyes to fall. His shoulders shake with each sob, and he has to repeatedly wipe his eyes as the tears make his vision blur. Still, to his right, he catches the large shadow that passes his window through the sides of his curtain. The flash makes him jump, his mind going back to when he mistook the gargoyle for an owl.

He has to remind- or convince- himself that in the light shadows are usually larger than whatever they come from and that it was, indeed, a bird this time.

Then something knocks against his window with a  _ thud _ , and that's enough to make him jump and his tears fall faster.

Another  _ thud _ , and this time he can see the outline of someone outside his window, standing on the canopy. He screams, which seems like the only logical thing to do, and is about to run and get his mom until it calls out, “wait!” And he realizes that he recognizes who it is.

Slowly, warily, he makes his way over to the window and sees that he’s right- it's Raido. He's almost relieved to finally see him again until he remembers that he doesn't trust him. He pulls back the curtains, but doesn't open the window.

“What do you want?” His tone doesn't quite have the skeptical flair he was going for, his voice is muddled from crying.

“I wanted to see if you were alright-”

“You knew this was going to happen didn't you?” Genma isn't surprised to see the guilty look on Radio’s face, he knew he was right. Raido hesitates before responding.

“I… I didn't know how to tell you-”

“I was going to find out eventually! Which,” Genma gestures to himself, “I have! Now they're gonna ship me off to some hospital in Central!” Despite trying to will them away, his tears come back hot and fresh, and he mentally kicks himself for looking so weak when he was supposed to be telling Raido off.

“I wasn't completely sure,” Raido mumbles. “Gargoyle bites don't always turn people, and it happened so fast I didn't think it got you enough to-”

“You were  _ there _ ?” The shock is enough to keep his voice steady. “You told me that you found me on the ground, what really happened?”

Again, Raido hesitates, but Genma waits until he answers, looking him straight in the eyes. He can see Raido would rather be looking anywhere else, debating how much to say or not say.

“They don't take kindly to Nether Humans around here,” he starts. “I had to convince them to call the specialist myself- that's why they're sending you to Central. I knew what was happening because I've seen it before.”

“Is that what happened to your parents?” Genma thinks he understands, and it makes him nervous.  _ What are they going to do to him in central? Are they taking him away just to get rid of him- kill him? _ But Raido shakes his head, and Genma has to blink-  multiple times- to make sure he's seeing correctly because it looks like there are wings coming from his back and his skin’s turning grey and leathery just like-

He screams again, and this time he  _ does _ run, but the window opens with a gust of wind and he's tackled to the floor. For a second he wonders why his mom hasn't come to see what all the noise is before he remembers that she took the night shift at work.  _ I'm gonna die _ , he thinks.

“Just-wait! Genma-” 

“Get off me! I knew I shouldn't have trusted you! You tried to kill me then and just came back to finish the job!” Genma scrambles to his feet, his back colliding with the wall, and grabs the nearest thing he can find -an end table- and hold it between himself and Raido. 

Raido...who now looks completely human again. Genma wants to faint. “You told me to tell you what happened, so  _ let _ me tell you what happened.” 

Raido moves slowly to sit in his desk chair, but Genma doesn't move from where he stands, keeping the table pointed at him.

“I had been out that night when I noticed a smell in the air and went to go check it out.” Genma’s only moderately grateful that, unlike Ibiki, Raido speaks with the unease of a person who knows what they're talking about is not normal. “I followed it- really, I don't know whether to tell you if you were cursed or lucky for having that lure with you.”

_ Cursed _ , Genma thinks,  _ definitely cursed _ . It clicks to him that Raido’s talking about the lamp.

“Anyway, that gargoyle had you by the time I got there, and when I saw you were still alive, I fought him off. Of course...I didn't get there in time to prevent this.”

Silence fills the room. Raido doesn't say anything else, so for a minute they're left standing there looking at each other. Suddenly, Genma feels very stupid using a rickety wooden table as protection when Raido all but destroyed his window. He places the table down in favor of tossing himself onto his bed. He's still not sure whether or not to trust Raido, but he doesn't think it matter much anymore, either.

“So what happens now?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you so much if you stuck through this whole thing! I hope you enjoyed it. I don't know why I was inspired to tell Genma's backstory in this au but here it is. Leave a kudos or a comment, tell me what you thought- if you liked it, if there's anything you catch that I need to fix and so on. Thanks again!


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